SwingByte 2 takes a major leap in addressing aesthetics and stability issues to get this device on the right path. As an early adopter, I eagerly awaited what could be the breakout swing aid of the year. Note that I am an owner of the SwingByte 1 device which was hampered by the hardware of the device.

First things first, this beautiful little device arrived in a nice package with no documentation directly from China (I pre-ordered). After my unboxing, a cursory check indicated some major changes to include:

Encapsulated grooves to fit your club into

An tabular latched system complete with a spring-loaded locking mechanism (more on the locking mechanism later)

White and black design with the familiar and uber cool SwingByte logo

A rubber hinge to accommodate any club of any size

Pretty neat software (not tested for this review) for IOS

Still great tech support out of Chicago

After a call to Tech Support in Chicago, I learned that I can use my SwingByte 2 with my old SwingByte Android software. The Android did update the software and the application was rebranded SwingByte 2. Tech Support would later say that Android will be brought up to IOS's level in the very near future.

*Update 06/13/2013*

Tech Support is AMAZING!!!!!! The latch problem I had was easily resolved when they sent me replacements. Replacing the latch was SO EASY and made the SwingByte more secure. 107 swings and the device holds PERFECTLY!!

*End Update*

I mounted the SwingByte 2 on my 9 Iron and had a tough time aligning due to my poor eyesight. After several goes, I finally got it lined up to match the alignment picture SwingByte provided in their tech support area. The Powering on sequence was rather easy (and aesthetically pleasing was its location and how it put out of the way). Yellow means active, Red means not paired. With that said, I begin swinging with my SwingByte 2!

I put 85 swings on the SwingByte (according to the online statistics) in 84 degree weather in my garage (See My Swing thread to get an idea of the surroundings). The first 30 swings went really well. After I hit behind the ball (keep in mind this was on a mat sitting on concrete), the SwingByte started having trouble keeping blue-tooth connectivity. However, the MAJOR issue was the locking mechanism. After high impact a few times during my session, I kept having to reseat SwingByte and its locking mechanism. Far better performance than Swingbyte 1, but the reseating, re-locking, and recalibrating remains a pain point.

I plan to head to the range tomorrow to see how the SwingByte fares on grass and spongy artificial turf versus matting on concrete. After use, I put the Swingbyte back on charger. One of the things I thought about was how crappy my Android tablet was and perhaps it was being annoying about the blue-tooth connectivity.

Final Analysis: I would recommend this device to a friend, but I would not use it as part of my regimen unless I wanted to clock speed (I need to review the updated software to make a better determination). The caveat to this review is that I have not tested this device with the new Software available on IPhone. Once the Android software gets updated, I will re-edit this review to complete full spectrum testing. The major POSITIVE point is the Technical Support staff. The lady is quite phenomenal and she takes the time (pretty voice by the way) to walk me through every aspect, and she even added things I didn't ask about the device.

Swingbyte 2 is a device I really want to do well because of its ease of use, compactness, and technology. It has taken a huge step forward in the right direction, but has a bit left to go in terms of the space in which it competes. Keep in mind that the device apparently in made in China, but the jury is still out on workmanship. Still a beautiful little device to look at for us Golf Gadget Geeks.

3 Comments:

Tstrike, thanks for the review. How many grams does the Swingbyte 2 weigh? Do you have a food scale or anything around your house that you can weigh the device on? I'm curious as it looks a little bulky from the photos. And it appears to have some aluminum/metal bracket which would add to its overall footprint/weight.